One Economy Highlights Education and Technology at Gala Honoring Department of Education Secretary and AT&T Chairman and CEO

Gala Includes Expo of Innovative Education Technology

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Global nonprofit One Economy featured the role of technology in improving education at its annual Gala held at the Newseum last night with an awards program honoring visionary leaders and outstanding student achievement in technology and education. Top awards were given to AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Following the awards program, some of the top technology companies and education organizations provided guests with the first public views of the latest technology designed to improve educational outcomes at the interactive Edu-Tech Expo.

"Education is the essential ingredient for joining the economic mainstream and One Economy is deepening its commitment to utilizing technology as an instrument to improve education outcomes," said Rey Ramsey, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, One Economy Corporation. "We're delighted to honor visionary leaders in government, business and youth leadership."  

Mr. Ramsey presented the first-ever One Economy Corporate Digital Leadership Award to AT&T Chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson for AT&T's pioneering effort in broadband adoption, launching the first and largest residential broadband adoption program and the company's tireless commitment to improving education. In November 2006, AT&T and One Economy forged a partnership to provide affordable access, content, and training. AT&T understood the support and resources that people, families and students need to be successful. Over the past five years, AT&T and the AT&T Foundation have pledged more than $37 million in contributions and grants to One Economy, including funding for the AT&T AccessAll program that connected 50,000 low-income households to critical economic resources.

"AT&T and One Economy have a common vision, that broadband is a powerful economic tool, which should be available to all Americans and AT&T is proud to help," said Randall Stephenson, Chairman and CEO, AT&T. "I especially want to commend One Economy for using broadband to enhance the education we provide our children. The best way for America to out-compete and out-innovate the rest of the world is to expand digital opportunity."

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan accepted the Metcalfe Digital Opportunity Award for his leadership in implementing technology programs, practices and policies that are addressing challenges facing many schools, students, educators and families, and ensuring that students from low-income households can compete on an even playing field. The award is named for Jane Metcalfe, founder of WIRED magazine and a founding One Economy Board Member. The award recognizes leadership in the democratization of technology and the Internet.

"Improving education is key to lifting our children and families out of poverty and producing a future workforce that will strengthen our economy," said Duncan. "Education is the civil rights issue of our time, and technology is an essential tool to provide equity and excellence in the nation's schools."

One Economy also recognized the achievement of a high school senior from Trenton, New Jersey, Dennisse Calle with the Lisa Y. Sullivan Award. After enrolling in Digital Connectors, One Economy's youth technology and leadership program sponsored by Comcast, Calle is using technology to help her community and plans to study medicine. Comcast is the largest supporter of the Digital Connectors program. The award is named in memory of founding One Economy Board Member, Lisa Y. Sullivan who was a tireless advocate for youth.

"Denisse is an example of the need for technology in shaping our future and is the motivation for government, corporate and community leaders to fully invest in improving education," said Ben Hecht, Vice Chairman of the Board, One Economy, who presented the award. "I am confident that what we have accomplished in our careers will pale in comparison to this next generation. Her achievements are truly inspiring and give us all great confidence in the future leadership of this country."

EDU-TECH EXPO

Following the awards program, AT&T, Common Sense Media, Discovery Education, Google, Kajeet for Education, Footsteps to Brilliance, Great Schools, Microsoft, NASA, Sprout and TV Textbook showcased some of the latest technology designed to improve education as part of the Edu-Tech Expo. Attendees were able to try the latest interactive tools.

Expo highlights  included: Study Buddy, sponsored by AT&T, a peer to peer online math tutoring program, where guests chatted live and received simulated tutoring from actual teachers; Microsoft showcased yet to be released math and reading games developed for the Kinect for Xbox 360 with Sesame Street and National Geographic, Common Sense Media showed parent programming on subjects such as cyberbullying; Google unveiled Chromebooks and Google Apps for Education, a suite of communication and collaboration tools; Footsteps to Brilliance demonstrated its breakthrough early learning platform that utilizes mobile gaming  technology; Great Schools featured the latest in mobile tools that help parents support their child's education; NASA showcased distance learning tools and articles from its space program; Sprout highlighted interactive online programming for pre-school children; and TV Textbook spotlighted its interactive digital learning resources.

Discovery Education, a division of Discovery Communications, featured a K-8 Science Techbook, a new interactive digital textbook for elementary and middle schools. Discovery Education and SCIENCE, a Discovery network, will be partnering with One Economy to provide an engaging collection of multimedia resources highlighting STEM topics including dynamic video clips and lessons to support teaching and learning of science, technology, engineering and math.

AT&T was the title sponsor of the 2011 Gala. Additional sponsors included:
Silver level sponsors: Comcast, Discovery Education, Google, Lightsquared and Microsoft.
Bronze Level Sponsors: Allstate, Cricket Communications, NCTA, US Telecom, Walmart.

Additional sponsors include: August II Productions, Charter, Golin Harris, Hogan Lovells, Kevin Jones, Kenny McWilliams, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti Inc., Owens Corning, and T Mobile.

About One Economy

One Economy is a global nonprofit organization that uses innovative approaches to deliver the power of technology and information to low-income people.  More than 20 million people have used One Economy's online tools and resources, including The Beehive (www.thebeehive.org) and the Public Internet Channel (www.pic.tv), to build better lives.  One Economy has launched on-the-ground programs in 42 U.S. states, Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. The Digital Connectors program is one of One Economy's education initiatives that deliver 21st century technology training to young people from low-income backgrounds, who then share what they learn within their own communities.  By year's end more than 6,000 youth will have given more than 200,000 hours of community service and will have trained 160,000 people. Learn more at www.one-economy.com.

SOURCE One Economy